Lion's share of crops to swelter into August

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Heat and drought will continue for the next two weeks in over 60 percent of the U.S. corn and soybean growing region, causing further losses to crop production, an agricultural meteorologist forecast on Tuesday.

"About two-thirds of the belt will remain dry for at least 15 days. There will absolutely be more declines in conditions," said Don Keeney, meteorologist for MDA EarthSat Weather.

Keeney said the northern and eastern Midwest would receive occasional rainfall and temperatures would not be as hot, leading to some improvement in crop prospects there.

"There were a few showers overnight in eastern Wisconsin, eastern Illinois and Michigan, and a few more showers in northeast Indiana and southern Michigan today," he said.

However, "temperatures will move back to 100 degrees Fahrenheit in St. Louis now through Saturday and again next week. There is no break for the central and western Midwest for at least 15 days," Keeney said.

Corn and soybean conditions in the U.S. Midwest deteriorated further last week as the most expansive drought in more than 50 years ate away at crops in major producing states including Iowa and Illinois, government data released on Monday showed.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture rated 24 percent of the corn crop in good-to-excellent condition as of Sunday, and 29 percent of the soybean crop in good-to-excellent shape, both down 2 percentage points from the previous week.

The ratings for each were the worst since the comparable week in 1988, another year of severe drought in the nation's crop-growing mid-section.

A Reuters poll of 10 analysts had expected a 3-percentage-point drop in the corn rating and a 2-point drop in soybeans.

Analysts and crop experts also said further declines in condition ratings could be expected next week because weather is still stressful to each crop.

Commodity Weather Group on Tuesday said the driest areas in the Midwest for the next two weeks would include top corn and soy producing states Illinois and southern Iowa. Major crop producing states Kansas, Missouri and eastern Nebraska also would remain under pressure from the relentless drought.

The southwestern part of the Midwest will continue to be affected not only by dryness but by extreme heat, with highs of 100 F, CWG stated in a note to clients. Additionally, nearly two-thirds of the Delta would see expanding drought, causing losses to soybean, cotton and rice production.

(Reporting By Sam Nelson; Editing by John Picinich)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/lions-share-crops-swelter-august-122904716.html

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